When summer tomatoes are out of season, this Honey Chipotle Salsa with canned tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobo can be made in the blender all year round! With the perfect balance of spice and a touch of honey to balance it, this blender salsa is ready in just a few minutes, perfect for taco night!
- Quick and Easy Blender Salsa! - In the winter months, it's easy to make your own homemade salsa in your blender with canned tomatoes in just a few minutes! This recipe is a hint spicy, kind of a medium chipotle salsa, and still uses a handful of fresh ingredients!
- What are chipotle peppers, and why honey?! - Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeño peppers that are canned in a tomato sauce. A little can is great to have in your pantry to give delicious spicy smokey heat to your salsa! The honey is subtle and you can't really taste it, but it balances the acidic and spicy flavors of the tomatoes and chipotle.
- If you Love this Salsa, try my similar Easy 5 Minute Salsa and pair it with Classic Guacamole!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Pantry staples and fresh flavors, this quick chipotle salsa is made in the blender in just minutes!
- Onion and Garlic - Fresh garlic is the best here, and you can use a big chunk of a yellow or red onion.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo - A little can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce makes this smokey chipotle salsa so easy to make at home! Use a fork to pull out 1 pepper with its sauce, or use 2 if you like a spicier salsa.
- Cilantro - Cilantro gives salsa its signature flavor and I love to use a lot! It's the best value as far as fresh herbs go, usually sold as a big bunch for just a couple dollars. And it's a favorite, I love buying cilantro and storing it with the stems in a coffee mug of water right in the fridge. It adds freshness to tacos, chili, soups or salads. Use a big handful in this salsa! Just cut off the bottom couple inches of the stems, the rest are tender and edible.
- Lime - Fresh lime juice is a must for this smokey chipotle salsa! It balances the canned flavors with really bright freshness!
- Salt - Important in salsa, I start with a half teaspoon of salt, knowing your chips for dipping are also are going to be pretty salty.
- Honey - It sounds strange in salsa, but the bit of sweetness in this Honey Chipotle Salsa balances the flavors beautifully. Tomatoes and chipotle peppers are very acidic, and the honey mellows the heat. A teaspoon of sugar could be substituted, and is often found in store-bought salsa, or can be left out.
- Crushed Tomato - A 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes is the base, and is going to make two big pint jars of salsa. You could substitute a can of whole peeled tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes. If all you have is 15 ounce can, you can use it, the other flavors will just be intensified a bit!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Blender Smokey Chipotle Salsa really can be made in just a few minutes and replace your jar of store-bought salsa!
Step 1 - Add everything to the blender except the crushed tomatoes.
Step 2 - Blend for a bit, just to give everything a head start. It's ok if it's still pretty chunky.
Step 3 - Add the crushed tomatoes and blend on low until everything is just incorporated. This only takes about 10 or 20 seconds. Don't over blend, you want some texture!
Give your salsa a taste with a chip. You can adjust by adding an extra chipotle pepper, more lime juice, more honey or more salt.
Recipe Notes & Helpful Tips
- Use Lots of Cilantro! - When you buy a whole bunch of cilantro and don't have a use for that much, feel free to go overboard with this salsa! Cilantro is the classic salsa flavor, and it adds that fresh element, so use a pretty big handful! The tender stems are edible, just trim off the bottom inch or two.
- Blending the Salsa - Start by giving the big chunks of onion, garlic, chipotle and cilantro a head start. Just run the blender a bit to get them chopped down. Then add the crushed tomato and blend just a bit more until everything is incorporated. It really only takes a few seconds, you don't want to over-blend or your salsa will be a smooth sauce-like consistency.
- Customize Your Salsa! - Homemade salsa is easy to customize to your liking, starting with the spice level. Use 1 chipotle pepper, or even less if you don't like salsa very spicy. You can always add another 1 or 2 peppers or more of the adobo sauce. You could also make this salsa with a fresh jalapeño or sweet pepper in place of, or in addition to the chipotle.
- What to Serve it With - Honey Chipotle Salsa is versatile and can be used on any type of taco night! Eat it as a snack with chips, pile it on rice bowls, burritos, sheet pan nachos, taco salad, Loaded Baked Potatoes, or breakfast egg burritos. Try it on my Ground Beef Fajita Tacos or my Grilled Steak Fajita Tacos. It's perfect for game day and chips and salsa goes well with Beef Vegetable Chili and Honey Skillet Cornbread.
- Storage and Freezing - Homemade Chipotle Salsa will last in the fridge for a week and can be frozen for up to 4 months. This recipe makes about 2 pint jars. You can freeze it in glass jars, filled ¾'s full to allow room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
If you use 1 chipotle pepper, this salsa isn't overly spicy, about a Medium Chipotle Salsa. For a spicier salsa, you can use 2 chipotle peppers. If you want it less spicy, you can use a half pepper, or add a bit more honey to balance the heat.
Extra canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce can be refrigerated for a week or two, or frozen. Pour them into a glass jar, freezer bag or other container and freeze for up to 6 months. It's nice to freeze them in a quantity you will use, so 2 or 3 smaller jars, or spread flat in a freezer bag where you can break off 1 pepper at a time.
Yes, if you don't have a blender or a food processor, you can make this recipe by hand. Simply chop the onion and cilantro and mince the garlic and the chipotle pepper. Be careful handling the chipotle pepper, wash your hands and cutting board after! Mix all ingredients in a bowl, your salsa may be a little chunkier than if you had made it in a blender, but the flavors will still be delicious!
More Salsas and Dips!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Honey Chipotle Salsa
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- ¼ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 juice of a lime (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomato (28 ounces)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the canned tomatoes to a blender. Blend on low until large chunks are chopped.
- Add canned tomatoes and blend about 10 or 20 seconds until ingredients are just incorporated, leaving some texture.
Notes
- Heat Level - Using 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce will give you a little kick of heat without being overly spicy. Add an additional pepper if you want it spicier.
- Taste and Adjust - Blend the salsa just enough to incorporate the ingredients, then give it a taste with a chip. You can add more chipotle peppers, honey, lime juice or salt to suit your taste!
- Freezing - This salsa can be refrigerated for a week or frozen. Extra chipotle peppers in adobe can also be frozen.
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